Lesson 11

Blackjack

The ground rules of Blackjack are simple and straightforward. With one of the best payout rates and the opportunity to control - at least in a small way - your chances for success, Blackjack is the favorite game of many casino-goers. Below you'll find a brief outline of the rules and procedures.

Basic Overview

Blackjack is a card game where each player competes one-on-one with the dealer. The goal in Blackjack is to have a hand which totals 21, or beats the dealer's hand by coming as close to 21 as possible without going over, or "busting."

If your first two cards are an ace and a ten, that's `blackjack` or "a natural" 21! `Blackjack` always beats a hand that totals 21 by adding the values of more than the first two cards.

A picture card is counted as 10, a card from 2-10 is counted at its face value, and an ace can be counted as either 1 or 11. A "hard hand" is a hand that does not contain an ace or contains an ace that can only be counted as 1 so as not to bust. A dealer's ace always counts as 11.

Terminology

• Hit: take another card

• Stand: remain with the cards you have

• Double Down: Give me ONLY one more card, and double my bet

• Split: Divide my pair into two hands - Your initial wager will be placed on one hand, and a second wager of equal value will be placed on the second hand.

• Insurance: If the dealer shows an ace, sometimes (if insurance is available at that particular table) you will be given the option of placing a side-bet, called insurance to counter the chance of the dealer having Blackjack.

For more information on Blackjack, visit our rules and strategy sections.

Continue to Lesson 12 - Roulette - intro
Lesson 13 - Poker - intro
Lesson 14 - Baccarat - intro
Lesson 15 - Slots - intro